The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 3 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IVGreville, Charles
History
The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 3 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV
Greville, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830; Great Britain -- History -- William IV, 1830-1837
disposal, so far from being of the same assistance to him, they
only bring an addition of bigotry and illiberality which will
perpetually cast difficulties and embarrassments in his way. It is
a curious matter for speculation how he will go on with these men,
how his coldness, prudence, and reserve will suit the intemperate
and often injudicious vivacity of Stanley. With Graham there would
not be so much difficulty, and _his_ principles would not be found
too inflexible. Nothing shocks his old Whig associates more than
the contrast between his present conduct and opinions, and the
extreme violence which he displayed at the period of his accession
to office in 1831; he was in fact the most ultra Liberal of Lord
Grey's Cabinet, and now he is little better than a Tory.
[Page Head: THE KING'S ADDRESS TO LORD AYLMER.]
The King, who is a thorough party man, will be overjoyed at any
change; he never loses an opportunity of showing his antipathy to
his confidential servants. The other day at the reception of the
Bath, when Lord Aylmer was introduced, he made him a speech to
which he gave that sort of dramatic effect which he is so fond of
doing. Aylmer had been recalled from Canada by this Government,
but when he approached the throne, the King called out to Lord
Minto and Lord Palmerston (the only two Ministers who are Knights
of the Bath), and made them come up, and stand one on each side of
Aylmer, that they might not lose a word of his oration, and then
he began. He told them that he wished to take that, the most
public opportunity he could find, of telling him that he approved
most entirely of his conduct in Canada, that he had acted like a
true and loyal subject towards a set of traitors and conspirators,
and behaved as it became a British officer to do under such
circumstances. I forget the exact expressions, but it was to this
effect, to the unspeakable satisfaction of Aylmer, and to inflict
all the mortification he could upon the Ministers whom he had
lugged up to witness this ebullition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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